I'm going to try deer hunting again this year. I've sold my 7mm so I'm going to use my Enfield. I'm sighting in at 100 yards and am spending alot of ammo at that range. I want to try to stalk the deer to get as close as I can. I'm just wondering if anyone can give me any good pointers for hunting with open sights. ST

kilroy2721

07-21-2002, 18:52

Pratice...Practice...and more Practice. try it from all positions standing, sitting, prone any position that you will be shooting from when you are hunting.

BWR55

07-21-2002, 19:14

I've hunted with an iron sighted pistol on occasion and can tell you that in low light conditions the normal Black iron sights are pretty much usless. If you can bring yourself to lighten them up with a touch of white paint, that may help with the low light problem. Other than that like already stated, practice..... You can be a real fine shot with iron sights.

Tphipps

07-21-2002, 22:30

I bought a Marlin Guide gun this year and am going back to hunting deer with open sights. I am going to load the .45/70 down a bit and feel I have a great East Coast deer rifle.

Out West, I would still use a scope and a longer range caliber. I like using open sights in brush and find it easier than using a scope. Like everyone else said, there is no magic, just practice.

Tim

mpol777

07-22-2002, 18:05

i used to use a rem870 12ga with a 28" bbl for deer. it only had a bead sight, but with rifled slugs i was still good up to about 60 yards. nowadays i have some clip on rifle style truglo sights that extend me out to about 100 yards.

it all depends on how comfortable you feel in taking the shot. as long as you can consistently put your shots in about a 4-5" group, then you're ok at that range.

Jethro

07-22-2002, 20:39

As long as you know how to shoot you can do quite well on game out to 300 yards or so with open sights. I've taken a half a dozen deer with a stock Remington Rand 03A3 and open sights out to 250 yards and would feel comfortable out to 300.

glockster96

07-22-2002, 22:54

I just started hunting whitetail with a 7mm that has open sights. My uncle has taken numerous deer with open sight rifles.:)

TJC

07-23-2002, 04:25

All good points above. I would only add that you should have a good set of binoculars with you if you are going to shoot out beyond 100 yds. It's always nice to get a close up look at the "head dress" you are going to be shooting at. ;)

rfb45colt

07-23-2002, 10:07

In my opinion, a peep or aperture sight is the only choice. I've hunted with peep sights most of my life. I've got two rifles with Williams aperture sights and Williams "fire sights" on the front. A Marlin in .35rem, and a Rem 742 carbine in .308. My eyesight is still very good at the age of 52 (no glasses or contacts, yet). I've been doing most of my deer hunting lately with a handgun. My favorite, a .45 Colt Blackhawk, hits 6" high at 25yds with my kickass 300 gr handloads and the sights maxed out for adjustment, so I was forced to put a 2x scope on it. I wish I could get a peep sight set-up for it.

Ditto on the binocs. Even a cheap pair of compacts is better than none.

Bonk

07-24-2002, 15:50

Another endorsement of binocs. Get a compact pair of 8x20's or similar size, then keep them around your neck or in a shirt pocket. Losing the scope means losing a little in the way of target identification, so you gotta make that extra check before you drop the hammer.

In terms of hunting, I have killed deer with my open-sighted T/C Renegade muzzleloader and my M-1 Garand (5 shot clip), and hope to do so with my Enfield No4MkII and eventually with a sixgun.

method

07-25-2002, 12:24

Originally posted by rfb45colt
In my opinion, a peep or aperture sight is the only choice. I've hunted with peep sights most of my life. I've got two rifles with Williams aperture sights and Williams "fire sights" on the front. A Marlin in .35rem, and a Rem 742 carbine in .308. My eyesight is still very good at the age of 52 (no glasses or contacts, yet). I've been doing most of my deer hunting lately with a handgun. My favorite, a .45 Colt Blackhawk, hits 6" high at 25yds with my kickass 300 gr handloads and the sights maxed out for adjustment, so I was forced to put a 2x scope on it. I wish I could get a peep sight set-up for it.

Ditto on the binocs. Even a cheap pair of compacts is better than none.
I believe there's a company that makes ghost ring sites for Blackhawks, check for ads in Shotgun News.

rfb45colt

07-25-2002, 23:33

Originally posted by method

I believe there's a company that makes ghost ring sites for Blackhawks, check for ads in Shotgun News.

Thanks! I'll check on that. The biggest problem I have is the front sight isn't high enough. If it was too high... well, I've got a file... but I tried several things to raise the height, but none were sturdy enough. I may have to send it to a good gunsmith, and get a new (higher) front sight installed. But I don't know where to go.

Sharker

08-03-2002, 07:56

I do alot of hunting in dense cover that opens into vast expanses of over 300 yards. This has made me go with a scope to cover the conditions that may arise, but after seeing many deer running that I wasnt comfortable shooting at with a scope (hard to aquire them in dense cover) , I am thinking about carrying a 44 lever w open sites. I think that open sites are easier to use and will allow you faster shots, and when practiced sufficently will allow you to shoot as well as a scope under 100 yards. I agree with the binocs but in close quaters deer hunting you likely wont get a chance to use them when you spot the deer. They are invaluable when entering clearings. Dont EVER use your scope to see if that "deer" wearing day glo orange accross the field has horns or not. It is not good practice.

Rigormootis

08-03-2002, 21:58

I carry a scoped rife (Rem 700 BDL .308) and a handgun when hunting whitetails. I have killed at least 1 deer every year in the past 12 years (I only hunt a few days, on my land, in WI). All but 3 of my kills have come from my handgun, a 6" barreled .357 mag. (S&W 686). Since I hunt the day preceding Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day, and the following Friday (second week of season), the deer are pretty spooked. I typically hunt the thick brush & swamps with my handgun drawn and my rifle slung (in case one breaks out in to the nearby adjacent fields). I have found the .357 to be an excellent deer stopper on the smaller-sized does that I typically harvest (I'm in it for meat - the younger and tenderer the better). I keep all my shots realistic, handload, and fire about 2000-2500 rounds though my various revolvers and pistols per year (I am also still serving in the USMCR in a billet in which I qual. every year with a pistol – “expert” EVERY time). Recently I have purchased a 6.5" S&W 610 (I love 10mm’s) and sold the 686. It will be my new deer slayer.

The reason I am telling you this is that my most successful hunting is done at close range, in the early morning/late evening (low light), and always with open sights. The trick is to practice, keep your head, and know where to place your shots.

Finally...and I can't stress this enough... practice (alone) does not make perfect. "Perfect practice" may get you close to perfect...but nothing will make you perfect. Remember, when you practice, apply the fundamentals of good marksmanship, in the conditions you will actually be hunting in. If your practice is flawed, your performance will likely follow the same path.

duncan

08-05-2002, 14:14

How about some tall target sights and just use some Bright sights to lighten then up during low light dusk and dawn shooting.

93GT

08-05-2002, 14:33

i use a 20" smooth bore 870 with rifle sights on it in ohio and the white paint on the sights comes on this one from the factory. deer under a hundred yards are as good as dead. In washington i hunt with a 1903 springfield 30-06 with williams aperature sights. i wouldn't feel too bad about a 300 meter shot. i mean i shoot military dog targets all day long with a worn out m16a2 rifle at 300 yards and b-mods at 500 yards. no reason why a bolt action 30 caliber rifle with good ammunition shouldn't be able to hit a deers vitals at 350 yards.

glockmeister23

08-13-2002, 13:16

I think iron sights are great, and accurate. I own a Bushmaster Dissipator, and it will shoot a deer sized target at 500 meters in the prone position. I wouldn't advise taking a shot at that distance, but the sights are capable. As long as you have your BZO, and know your windage clicks there should be no problem.

08-13-2002, 13:54

using a 50/110/460 carbine w/open sights i can get groups under 2" offhand @100 yds...
i thought i was being stupid when i sold my marlin in order to buy this rig, but damm can it shoot !
open sights are not a problem as long as your eyes are good...

duncan

08-17-2002, 17:24

Lots of good advice here.

The key is to plan or beat the deer to an acceptable shooting position with no obstructions and take it under 50 yards.

Most of the deer here are taken in under 100 yards, per Wildlife Management. So around here, all of those nice 300 win mag and 7mm rem mag rifles are wasted.

Rem 870 or glock 20 is all I need for Bambi!

SkippyThe

08-18-2002, 16:15

I found a load the gun really likes and am at 1"-1.5" at 100 yards. I'd like to get closer and plan on setting up just off of a trail. So I can get a close shot or sneak up closer if needed. I'd like to get permision to hunt this farm next to my house. I found a great sight to set up on. It's 60 yards away from a creek that I see alot of game at when I go running in the mornings. The trail I see alot of deer on is about 45 yards away from this area. I've done alot of observing from there and would like to hunt it. But alas the farmer is a transplant who wont even use a gun to control the coyotes that love his chickens so. So it's back to the hunting area hunting. ST

duncan

09-03-2002, 17:39

Too bad.

Just wait till the deer overrun his land. Or eat his crops.

he'll be begging for hunters then.

But integrity is best. Ask and if denied thank them anyway for their time.

One farmer said no then gave me the directions to his buddy's farmer who liked to meet the hunters during turkey hunting season.

You never know.

micah

09-04-2002, 12:03

What just about everyone said is correct, practice. I also only use open sight handguns, rifles and shotguns for hunting. I used to own some pretty nice glass, but I find that I enjoy open sights much more. IMO there is no real excuse to scope a rifle that will only be used at ranges of 300 yards or less. Okay, I suppose bad eyes are an excuse, but that's about it.

Matthew Temkin

09-14-2002, 19:34

I'm a big fan of Williams peep sights. I have one on my pre- 64 Model 94, and my blackpowder Lyman Deerstalker.